Automatic water-feed apparatus for boilers



Nov. 16,1926. 1,606,918

4 C. O. BARION AUTOMATIC WATER FEED APPARATUS FOR BOILERS Filed July1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/vvz/vzm? Liam/MN :Nov. 16, 1926.

C. O, BARION AUTOMATIC WATER FEED APPARATUS FOR BOILERS Filed July 21925' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M m 1 \M T nil Patented Nov. 16, 1926.

Uhli'iE STATES CHRISTIAN O. BARION, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC WATER-FEED APPARATUS FOR BOILERS.

Application filed July 28, 1925.

The present invention relates to an inexpensive and reliable means forautomatically feeding water to and accurately maintaining the desiredwater level in boilers, particularly boilers having condensation returnequipment, it being possible to cheaply and easily adapt the inventionto boilers or" this type without use of force feed apparatus other thanthat included in the said condensation return equipment.

The invention further resides in the provision of a simply constructedsmall compact, sturdy and reliable automatic valve which isthermostatically operated and controlled by variations in the waterlevel of the boiler, said valve bein subject to a wide range of preciseadjustments and capable of long and accurate service at a nominal upkeepcost.

.Vith the above mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawing. and set forth in theclaim hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in theform, proportion, size and minor details of construction within-thescope of the claim may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of boilerequipment constructed and arranged in accordance with the invent-ion.

Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the automatic valveof the invention.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of the valveshown in Fig. 2. I Fig. 4 is, a cross sectional view taken on the planeof line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in detail in theaccompanying drawings, the apparatus of the invention which will belater described is incorporated with the boiler 1, equipped with astandard form of condensation return device generally designated 2, thisequipment being somewhat modified, however, to provide for theadaptation of my invention thereto. The device 2 for returningcondensation to the boiler is of a well known type and includes areceiver 3 receiving condensation from the return pipe 4 and whichdischarges through a pipe 5 into a trap 6. The condensation may howeverbe Serial No. 48,525.

received directly into the trap 6, as a holder therefor if desired. Fromthe trap the condensation is returned to the boiler through a pipe 7.Steam is delivered to the trap by a pipe '7 leading from the boiler tothe valve mechanism 8 of the trap. As is well known in the art, waterfrom the receiver passes into the trap 6 which when a predeterminedamount of water is contained therein operates automatically through thevalve mechanism 8 to admit steam from the pipe 7 into the trap. Thepressure of the steam builds up in the trap equal to the boiler pressureand the water in the trap gravitates through thepipe 7 into the boiler.A more detailed account of the operation of boiler of this type is notthought necessary inasmucn as such boilers are well known in the art.

In carrying out my invention with a boiler such as above described, Iprovide a pipe line 9 leading from a source of water supply lO to thereceiver 3 and by means of an automatic valve 11, automatically supplywater to the boiler through the condensation return equipment andtherefore eliminate the necessity of using a pump or any force feeddevice other than that of the condensation return apparatus. An overflowpipe 12 leads from the receiver into the source of water supply 10 and asteam I vent pipe 13 from the trap 6 discharges into said source 10below the level of the supply.

The automatic valve 11 is thermostatically operated but controlled byvariations in the water level of the boiler. This valve contains athermostat and is mounted so that the thermostat is in the plane of thedesired water level of boiler. later and steam from. the boiler areconveyed to the valve to operate the thern'iostat and the thermostatoperates to open the valve when the level of the water in the boiler andin the valve is lowered. When the valve is opened, water is fed to thereceiver and from thence to the boiler through the condensation returnequipment. lhe hot steam is the operating medium for the thermostat andthis medium is held incheck by the water from the boiler seeking itslevel in the valve and partially submerging the thermostat.

The valve 11 is supplied with water from the boiler by a pipe 14, havinga connection also with the return pipe 15 of the sight gauge 16. Steamis admitted to the valve 11 the through a pipe 17 leading from the upperside of the boiler. The equi nnent is provided with valved drains 18,19, 20 and 21 the purposes of which are obvious.

By means of the device of my invention an automatic and accuratemaintaining of a desired water level may be had very economically.

The automatic valve comprises a tubular casing 25 having steam and waterintakes and 27 on its upper and lower sides to which the pipes 17 and 1eare connected. lilounted in the casing 2 5 is asuitable liquidcontaining thermostat comprising a tube 28 containing an .expansibleand. contractable member 29; fastened at one: end. as at 29' to the tube28. One end of the tube 28 is screw threaded as at 30 and is turnedthrough an opening 31 in the end of the casing 25 where it'is adjustablyheld by a flanged adjusting cap 82. The thermostat tube is ofconsiderably less diameter than the casing and is spacedcircumferentially therefrom leaving large chamber for the steamand waterwhich operates the thermostat. The element 29 operates or movesinoependentof the tube 28 and carries an operating rod 34 which slidablyextends through the closed end of the tube and is loosely. received in aconpling sleeve 36. A similar rod 37 is similarly received in the otherend of the couplins sleeve and extends through a stuffing box 08 at oneend of a bore 89 in an exteir, sion member l0 of a valve casing 41.

This extension is detachably connected to one end of the thermostatcasing by means of fastenings 42. The valve casing141 has nipples 43anclaa to connectthe valve proper in the pipe line to be controlled. A.double valve 45 is connected with the rod 371 and has a piston like head4.6, having a working fit in a short cylinder a7 attached at one end ofthe valve casin A helical expansion spring 48 containe in the cylinder47 engages the head'tG and holds the valve closed? The-tension of thisspring maybe changed by an adjusting screw 49, operating as shown, inFig. 2 in connection with a screw 50 which bears against the adjacentend of the spring.

The two seats 51, and 52 for the portions 53 and 54 of the valve areassociated. with the two valve passages 55 and 56 controlled by thevalve. The portion 53 of the valve receives the water pressure in thesupply line so as to hold the valve closed, thus partly relieving thespring of its duty in holding. the differential valve against its seats.This balances the valve and insures it's'working order in lengtheningthe life of' the spring and further in making the operation of the valveeasier and smoother.

The coupling'sleeve facilitates the assembling and disassembling of thevalve.

The valve is mounted so that the medlal longitudinal line of thethermostat casing is in the same plane as the desired water level of theboiler and the water from the boiler passes through the pipe let andseeks its level in said casing, thereby partly submerging thethermostat'tube 28. Steam enters the upper half of the casing 25 butapproximately one half of the thermostat tube is exposed to steam, thatis, when the water in the boiler is at the proper and desired level to:be maintained.

When the levelof the water in the boiler drops below the predeterminedpoint, the level of the water. in the thermostat casing 25 is likewiselowered. and more area of the thermostat is exposed to the steam. Thethermostat may be arranged and adjusted to provide for an accurateoperation thereof slowly or quickly on variation of the level in theboiler and casing 25. When the memherv 29 of the thermostat expands therod is pushed and through the. coupling 36 pushesthe rod 37. so as tounseat the valve 4L5. .Vater then flows through the pipe 9 into thereceiver 3 and from thence into the trap 6. The trap functions ashereinbefore described when sufiicient water is contained therein totilt the trap and open the valve device 8, to admit steam into the trapuntil the pressures. in the trap and boiler are the same at which timewater will gravitate through the pipe 7 into the boiler.

When the level of the water inthe boiler rises to the predeterminedpoint, the level in the casing25 also rises and submerges the thermostattubesosutficiently to cause it to contractandpermit the spring 18 tomove the valve against its seats, thusshutting off the feed of water tothe receiver 8.

The valve may be used with various types of boilers as well as with.thepresent type although it is particularly adapted for use with thepresent type.

The. modified valve shown in Fig. 3 is the same as the valve shown inFig. 2 except as. to the adjusting features audits parts, which save forthe last named featuresare designated by the. same reference charactersused in Fig. 2. In this form the casing 28 is screwed into a cap-likemember 55 which is in turn screwed into the threaded outer end 56of the.casing 28. A pin 57 is carried by and extends outwardly from the member55 through a stufi ing bOX- 58 inthe outer end of the casing 28.

This pin is squared on its outer end so that it may beturned by a wrenchor other tool and thereby adjustthe member 55 to move thethermostatbodily. The other adjustment brought about by regulating the tensionofithe. spring 48. is effected by means of a cap. 59 adjustably screwedon tothe valve casing and: engaging one endof the sprin The other end ofthe spring engages a bearing member 60 having a pointed TJI end bearingon the valve 45. By means of these adjustments the operation of thevalve may be precisely regulated over awide range and made to operate inan accurate and reliable manner. The adjustment of the valve may beeasily made without disassembling the valve.

By providing a double seated or diflerential valve operated by anexpansive element which latter is operated by temperature variation, thevalve is made more sensitive to variable fluid pressures passing throughit and thereby insures a constant water level in the boiler.

My invention may be said to include the provision of a novel andefficacious automatic operating means which although especially adaptedfor operating valves is more or less of general application. Thisoperating means as will be seen from reference to the foregoingdescription and accompanying drawings, comprises an expansive ele mentin a casing which latter contains both liquid and gaseous (steam)fluids, the level of the liquid fluid being predetermined and theoperation of the said means being brought about by variations of thepredetermined level of the liquid fluid. The level or the liquid fluid(boiler water) is predetermined to suit operating conditions and in thepresent instance this level is at the centre gauge cock of the boiler.

The steam intake 26 for the casing 25 is of considerably less diameterthan the opening in the water intake 27. In the present instance I mounta bushing 26 in the nipple comprising the intake 26 and make a verysmall opening through the center of the bushing. The purpose of thissmall opening for the steam is to prevent an unintentional operation ofthe automatic valve such as would take place in blowing off the column.In opening the valve outlet 21, to blow oil the column, the water in thecasing 25 is also blown and if it were not for the retracted intakeopening for the steam, the steam would enter the casing in sufiicientamount to cause the valve to open and bring about an increase or raisingof the water level of the boiler when such an increase is unnecessary.By making the opening small, suflicient steam does not enter the casing25 when a blowing off operation is carried out, to cause an expansion ofthe expansible element and a subsequent opening of the valve.

Automatic Water feed apparatus for boilers comprising the combinationwith a boiler, a condensation receiver, and a means in operativeassociation with the boiler and receiver and operating to returncondensation to the boiler, of a source of water sup ply connected withthe receiver and a thermostatically operated valve controlled byvariations of the water level of boiler which valve controls the flow ofwater from the source to the receiver.

CHRISTIAN O. BARION.

